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Mary Gets Busy with the Furniture

Mary Gets Busy with the Furniture

Breadcrumb

Mary is busy tearing branches to make a nest high in the tree. Photo by Joe Shah. Our female Sun Bear which is just about to turn three years old has really been busy.In the wild, Sun Bears spend a lot of time looking for insects in rotten logs or in leaf mulch on the rainforest floor, and tearing up tree branches to get to bee nests for honey or to fruits.Sun Bears tap logs with their long sensitive claws and listen for a “hollow” sound. If a log appears to have hollow cavities inside, the bears will tear it apart because it’s probably home to lots of yummy insects. They also use torn branches to make a nest to sleep in trees high above potential predators.In our Sun Bear exhibit, Mary has been displaying some great “wild” Sun Bear behaviours by doing exactly that! Mary has also torn apart some of her dens and exhibit furniture that we weren’t expecting. This is definitely keeping the horticulturalists and the maintenance men busy with repairs, and of course us keepers, so that she can continue to keep up with her naturally curious and creative lifestyle.Mr. Hobbs, is more laidback and happy to watch Mary at work, before spending some time play-wrestling with Mary.LesleyCarnivore keeper

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Taronga Zoo Sydney

Taronga Conservation Society Australia is a leader in the fields of conservation, research, animal welfare, wildlife rehabilitation and environmental education.

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